Life — December 20, 1917 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Biddle Speed Advertisement Analysis This is a **straight automobile advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The Biddle Motor Car Company of Philadelphia is marketing their "Biddle" automobile by emphasizing performance features—specifically speed with control, security, and comfort. The ad uses aspirational lifestyle imagery: a sporty open-air roadster positioned near a stately home with bare birch trees, suggesting wealth and sophistication. Well-dressed figures admire the vehicle, reinforcing its status appeal. The headline plays on the double meaning of "biddle" (the brand name) and "biddle" as a verb, but this appears to be simple wordplay rather than satire. This represents typical 1920s automotive advertising emphasizing leisure, status, and mechanical advancement to affluent consumers.